Manchester Police Chief David Mara said there is one clear reason for the rise in violent crimes in the city: drugs.

Manchester Police Chief David Mara said there is one clear reason for the rise in violent crimes in the city: drugs.

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Updated: 12:48 AM EST Jan 22, 2014

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WEBVTT DOLLARS, BUT ABOUT TWO WEEKS OF HEATING FOR THEIR HOMES. VIOLENT CRIME IS UP IN THE CITY OF MANCHESTER, WAY UP. SO TONIGHT MANCHESTER'S POLICE CHIEF WENT TO CITY HALL TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY TO HIRE MORE POLICE OFFICERS. HE ALSO SPOKE ABOUT WHAT'S DRIVING THE VIOLENCE. POLICE CHIEF MORRIS SAYS THERE IS ONE CLEAR REASON FOR THE RISE IN VIOLENT CRIME IN MANCHESTER. DRUGS. AFTER WE ARREST SOMEBODY FOR SAY BURGLARY OR ROBBERY DURING OUR INTERVIEWS WE'RE ALMOST OVERWHELMINGLY THE MAJORITY IS PEOPLE THAT ARE ADMITTING THEY'RE ADDICTED TO DRUGS. AND THE DRUG OF CHOICE IS ONE OF THE MOST ADDICTIVE, HEROIN. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN PURCHASE IT FOR LESS THAN YOU CAN A CASE OF PIER. SO -- BEER. SO THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT THAT, THE MORE WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO GET IT UNDER CONTROL. HEROIN ADDICTS HELP FUEL A 24% INCREASE IN CRIMES LIKE MURDER, RAPE, ROBBERY AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. 620 CRIMES WERE REPORTED IN 2013, COMPARED TO 593 IN 2012. IT'S THE REASON CHIEF MORROW WENT TO CITY HALL TUESDAY NIGHT TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY TO HIRE MORE POLICE OFFICERS. I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR FIVE YEARS WE NEED BETWEEN 250 AND 275 POLICE OFFICERS. RIGHT NOW CHIEF MORROW'S BUDGET ALLOWED FOR 221 OFFICERS. SO HE ASKED FOR FUNDING TO ADD OFFICERS TO NEXT YEAR'S CITY BUDGET. THE MAYOR IS SUPPORTIVE. WE ARE WORKING ON IT, THERE'S NO QUESTION, I TALKED TO THE CHIEF PROBABLY TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK ABOUT IT. AND THEY OFTEN BREAK DOWN THE NUMBERS WHEN THEY SPEAK. IN 2013 THERE WERE 299 ROBBERIES IN MANCHESTER, COMPARED TO 205 IN 2012. LAST YEAR THE CITY RECORDED SIX MURDERS, COMPARED TO TWO IN 2012. AND THE CHIEF SAYS HE NEEDS THE MANPOWER TO CLAMP DOWN. MANCHESTER IS A SAFE CITY, WE'RE AN URBAN AREA, WE HAVE A CRIME ISSUES THAT ARE RELATED TO BEING AN URBAN AREA. THE POLICE CHIEF IS HOPING THAT FUNDING WILL ALLOW HIM TO